Gay Marriage Momentum

I have a piece in our May issue about how the political dynamics have shifted on the question of same-sex marriage, with momentum suddenly on ...

I have a piece in our May issue about how the political dynamics have shifted on the question of same-sex marriage, with momentum suddenly on the "pro" side.

Given the print magazine's lead time, I knew that piece would quickly be overtaken by events, and sure enough, today the Washington, DC city council has voted to recognize gay marriages from other states, while the Maine House has passed legislation to approve of such marriages. (Update: Gov. Baldacci has signed the Maine legislation.)

Steve Butterfield, a Maine House rep, writes in to TalkingPointsMemo about the view from the floor:

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I'm a state rep from Bangor, Maine, and I'm in the chamber of the state House of Representatives right now as we "debate" LD 1020, Maine's marriage equality bill, which was passed by the senate last week.

I'm struck by how overwhelmingly the balance of representatives today have spoken in favor - on both sides. A Republican representative known for being a staunch conservative gave an exceptional and moving floor speech early on this morning in which he said he realized "this is not about me" and announced his support.

Yes, there's the feeling of being a part of history, and yes, there's the camaraderie of righteousness that comes from being on the right side of a pivotal issue - but the mood here very much feels like this movement is more inevitable than it was even a month ago.

Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage will remain in place for now after a federal judge opted not to rule on the issue today and instead hold a trial in February — a decision that dashed the hopes of dozens of couples waiting at local clerks’ offices with plans to wed that day if the ban was lifted.
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